Innovative homes donated to Haiti

As the aftershocks continue, an international company specializing in composite wall panels has pledged to donate 1,000 small homes to the Haiti relief effort.

InnoVida CEO Claudio Osorio told WalletPop he has secured both the support of President Bill Clinton and free barge transport to carry the panels to Haiti from his Miami factory -- and hopes to have the first of the 300-square-foot structures ready for occupancy by April.

"Our role comes into play once the debris has been cleared and the roads are open," Osorio said. The plan is to send company foremen to train unskilled workers in Haiti, a formula InnoVida has used in other countries as can be seen in this time-lapse You-Tube video from Dubai. The buildings can go up in as little as two days.

The company is no stranger to quake zones, having previously built in China after its massive 2008 temblor. The epoxy, fiber and polyurethane panels -- similar to synthetic materials used in boats and planes -- require no wood or metal framing and are flexible.

"When the ground shakes, they don't even bat an eye," Osorio said. "The roof is so light that the typical death when the roof falls in doesn't happen."

With his wife, Amarilis, Osorio in 2008 created "A House For You," a not-for-profit organization that provides shelter to unprivileged people around the world.